Join Pierce County’s Comprehensive Plan update

Before the cool chill of autumn set in Pierce County even before the long days of summer took root, the Pierce County Council Chambers were buzzing with activity week after week with work on the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update.

The Comprehensive Plan provides a framework that guides the day-to-day decisions of County staff and elected officials related to land use, housing, transportation, capital facilities, climate change, and the environment. The Washington State Growth Management Act directs cities and counties to conduct a periodic review and update of their Comprehensive Plan every 10 years.

For Pierce County, the periodic review was this year, and a Comprehensive Plan update must be adopted by Dec. 31. The Council’s Community Development and Environment Committee (CDEC) has led the legislative effort for this large and vital project, and community participation has been an integral part of that process.

“Land use planning is so important to get right. The decisions we make today in this Comprehensive Plan update will guide how our County will grow well into the future,” said Robyn Denson, Pierce County Councilmember for District 7 and Chair of the CDEC. “These decisions impact how and where we grow, which is important for our natural and built environment and highly impacts our overall quality of life.  The community interest and engagement in this work has been exciting and appreciated; I’m happy people are taking a proactive role in shaping our communities.”

The CDEC moved O2024-553s out of Committee on Oct. 7, as amended, and forwarded the proposal to the full council with a do-pass recommendation. Final council action on O2024-553s is scheduled for Nov. 12 and will likely get a vote to continue to Dec. 3, 2024.

The CDEC received presentations from PPW staff on Monday, Oct. 7 and Monday, Oct. 21, which outlines the proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan that were informed by the preferred alternative. The presentation addressed housing, land use, transportation, environment, and climate goals for the next 20 years.

Key takeaways from those presentations include housing density increases near transit, increasing affordability and reducing rural development pressures; expansion of sewer services and transportation infrastructure in urban areas; environmental goals like urban tree canopy and land conservation; a review of urban growth area (UGA) change recommendations in Pierce County, recommending certain areas for removal from the UGA due to development constraints (e.g., flood hazard zones or lack of infrastructure) while retaining other areas with greater urban growth potential; and a review of the Capital Facilities Plan, which outlines infrastructure needs, costs, and long-term transportation project needs to accommodate growth, including roadway expansions and pedestrian/bicycle facilities.

The next milestone was Monday, Nov. 4, when the CDEC held its first public hearing on a final proposed Comprehensive Plan update. Councilmembers will have an option to submit amendments.

As Pierce County moves toward finalizing its 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, community engagement and thoughtful planning will remain at the heart of this critical process. You can stay current on upcoming meetings and planning materials at piercecountywa.gov/950/comprehensive-plan.